Nebraska Indian Community College attended the Omaha Nation “Here We Grow” Youth Retreat that was held on May 7th at the Wade Miller Football Field in Macy. The day included activities for youth and there were sessions on topics such as Underage Drinking, Teens & Tobacco Use, Bullying, Suicide, Teen Health, and Preparing for College.

Vanessa Hamilton and Susan Tyndall-Winchell spoke to 6th-8th grade students about the importance of doing well in school and what they can do to better prepare themselves for college. They stressed the importance of getting good grades and talked about career choices. They also talked about the advantages of attending NICC since it is close to home, culturally based, and they would have access to family support while working toward their degree. They posed questions to the youth as well about what advice they might give to other kids about attending college and thinking about career choices. The majority of students came up with the answer that Math and Science were important classes.

It was a good afternoon and we look forward to more opportunities like this one!

Nebraska Indian Community College attended the Winter AIHEC meeting in Washington, DC from February 9-13, 2015. During the Winter Meeting, those representing the tribal colleges met with state senators and representatives to lobby for current legislation that will support Native American education and tribal colleges. Those attending from NICC were Mike Oltrogge, President; Mary Johnson, Director of Development; and four students, Sarah Zavala, Rose Buffalo Chief, Falon Torrez, and Siqoyia Hoving. The NICC group met with staff from both senators’ offices as well as the 3 representatives’ offices. Senator Deb Fischer was present for the meeting and the students had the opportunity to meet Sen. Sasse and Rep. Fortenberry after the meetings. They were in hearings and unable to sit in on NICC’s meeting with the staffers. During the meetings, the group lobbied for support for current legislation that will continue to fund tribal colleges and assist other programs for the colleges. The students also had the opportunity to talk about their experiences as tribal college students and the importance of this type of educational opportunity for Native Americans.

Also, during the week-long meeting, those present were able to attend presentations by representatives from the Department of Education, who spoke on important changes coming that may affect all colleges and universities and had the opportunity to ask questions on how these could impact tribal colleges specifically. Other speakers included those from the Bureau of Indian Education and other AIHEC staff. The AIHEC Student Congress (ASC) also met during the week for their quarterly meeting. NICC has two students who sit on the ASC: Sarah Zavala, Historian; and Falon Torrez, Midwest Representative.